Baptist Magazine v132 n6

Baptist Churches of New Zealand

v.132 † no.6

BAPTISTMAG.ORG.NZ

December 2016/January 2017 NZ $3.90 (incl GST)

Regain your

Balance LEARNING TO LEAD

COMMAND I GIVE YOU: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, SO YOU MUST

GIFTED AND CALLED: WOMEN WALKING WITH JESUS

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

SEEKING AN INHERITANCE

Sharing language and lessons † Hui 2016

A NEW

John 13: 34 †

What is a Christian response to war? Part III

Visit us online

Subscribe for just

$20

for six issues each year!

Save 15% on the retail price ($3.90 each) and get free delivery to your home.

PLUS GO IN THE DRAW TO WIN THE AETHERLIGHT BIBLE FROM BIBLE SOCIETY NEW ZEALAND!

Sign up to our emails to keep you posted about what is new on our website.

Simply visit baptistmag.org.nz and enter your email address.

BE CHALLENGED, EQUIPPED AND INSPIRED ON YOUR FAITH JOURNEY.

RECENT ONLINE ARTICLES: This is a companion Bible to go alongside the online adventure game The Aetherlight: Chronicles of the Resistance.

Visit baptistmag.org.nz/subscribe

Need a Doctor?

A reflection on Luke 5: 31-32 Caleb Slaney Jules Riding in Eastern Europe A journey from retirement to new ministry Jules Riding

*Westgate Baptist Church

Residential interest rates for church lending.

Call us today to find out more.

Term Deposit interest rates benchmarked to bank rates.

0508 (SAVINGS) 728 464 office@christiansavings.co.nz

www.christiansavings.co.nz

In Partnership with The Baptist Union of New Zealand

20

4 CONTENTS

16 Editor Sarah Vaine Art Director Andrés Carrió | WindsorCreative

FE ATU RE

Regain your balance ....................4 H U I

20 1 6

...............................7

D I SC I PL E SHIP

Learning to lead .........................10

Global Mission Greg Knowles Business Manager Daniel Palmer __

C H I LD

&

FA M I LY

Seeking an inheritance ...............13

Contact Editorial sarah@baptistmag.org.nz Churches in Action jill.hitchcock@baptist.org.nz Advertising advertising@baptistmag.org.nz

C U LT U R E

What are we fighting for?

(Part III).....................................16

10

Website baptistmag.org.nz Facebook facebook.com/baptistmagazine Baptist Churches of New Zealand

LE AD E R SHIP

Gifted and called: women walking with Jesus.........20

PO Box 12-149, Penrose, Auckland 1642, New Zealand Telephone 09 526 0333 __

FA M I LY

NE WS

D I RE C T ORY

....................23

.........................31

Printing Image Print, Auckland Photography lightstock.com and Andrés Carrió __ The NZ Baptist Magazine is the magazine of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand.

GLO BA L

MISSION

Connecting with his world ........ 33 Sharing language and lessons.....34 Thoughts from Charles Hewlett & new BMF presidents ..................36 Nga Taonga Tuku Iho: Treasure Handed Down…...........37 RE SO U R CE

R E VIE WS

Equipping You ............................38 Distributed through local Baptist churches in NZ and dependent on their contributions. Registered with POHQ as a newspaper. ISSN 1176-8711. A member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

GLO BA L

MISSION

Opportunities to serve….............39

A word from the Editor: In this last issue of 2016, we look at some of the ways we relate to each other in our churches. How can we regain our balance so that we keep relating well? What did we learn from the Hui this year? How can pain and joy shape us? What can we learn from the spread of generations in our churches and from the women who walked with Jesus?

We also bring you the last part in our war and conflict series, lots of family news, and more fantastic stories from NZBMS. We hope that these can encourage and inspire you this Christmas season and beyond! ~Sarah Vaine

v.132 no.6 † 03

Baptist / F E A T U R E

Lightstock

Balance Life can be draining at times, right? Sometimes it feels like we are giving out far more than we are putting back into ourselves – this can include in our churches! But keeping up with this long-term can be our downfall if we don’t address some key areas. Here we share some insights from the fictional Vale Baptist Church, based on Jenny Purkis’ talk “Regain your Balance” at the Baptist Hui this year.

V

ale Baptist Church is a new church that has been meeting for about six months. There

04 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

are plenty of great ideas, but they have a few relational issues to work through. Let’s take a closer look.

Grace, Alex, and Greg are part of the team involved in the establishment of this church. Alex is leading the team and he is so excited to get to know the community and establish fellowship together. With so many new ideas, he is already running four different programmes on different nights of the week and is planning their first church weekend away.

At a recent team meeting, Grace and Greg came to Alex with some concerns. They said they felt a few things should be dialled back

TheRealFindo/lightstock.com

Living from the sweet spot of passion, service, and ownership.

for a season, as several people were feeling overwhelmed with the volume of commitments. Alex disagreed. The programmes he has established are going great – everyone says so!

Grace feels troubled by this.

She believes that commitment to the church is paramount and she is intent on sticking with the team, but she isn’t sure how much longer she can maintain the busy routine. There are times when she would rather stay at home. She doesn’t feel particularly energised and if she is honest, sometimes she wonders if she helps anyone at all.

Greg feels frustrated. He loves the church and is often the one who sees a job and gets it done. But Alex recently asked Greg to head up the music team, which means practising on a Sunday afternoon for a few hours. Shortly after this, Alex asked Greg to run the Friday night socials.

Greg already serves on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday - as well as Sunday - and he wants to spend time with his friends on a Friday night.

Greg really doesn’t want to take on any more. So what needs to be done?

There are three important things to consider when we reflect on involvement in ministry. These are our attitude towards serving others, our passion for whatever we are involved in, and the ownership we have for our place of involvement: passion, service, and ownership. We need each of these in place to maintain our balance. We can see what happens when one of those aspects is missing. Alex is forgetting what service is all about – he is becoming self-centred. Grace’s passion is falling away - she is drying up. Greg is losing ownership of his role - if the jobs keep being piled on, he risks burn out. How can these three make the necessary adjustments to regain their balance?

the music team and to invest in the social evenings and I appreciate your confidence in me. However, I need to consider my priorities as I already feel like I have a lot on my plate. Give me a few days to pray about what I should be doing and work out what is feasible and sustainable. Then let’s sit down and discuss this further. It may not be right for me to take on these roles, but if I do we might need to look at what could be put to one side so that I can be free to invest in these areas.

Hopefully Alex might reply something like: “Thank you for all that you do. We love having you involved, you are such a gift to us. I don’t think I’ve stopped to consider how much you have on and I understand this might mean you can’t take on more. If you were to be involved, let’s sit down and look at all the things you are already doing.

It sounds like I haven’t understood your commitments well enough.

If I’m honest, I’m feeling under pressure trying to get these roles filled and was hoping for someone to take them off my hands. Greg, can I mention one thing? I’ve noticed that you disconnect when you are frustrated. Can we look at this?”

Unfortunately, Alex doesn’t say this because Alex has his own struggle.

Choose to operate wholeheartedly – renegotiate if necessary Greg feels that he is taking on Friday night socials out of obligation. He isn’t sure who else could take on the role – he wants to be faithful and feels it is his duty to keep it going because he doesn’t want to disappoint the people involved.

But he has started to feel some resentment about it. Out of frustration he is ignoring all of Alex’s emails.

Greg needs to renegotiate his involvement so that he can operate wholeheartedly. Perhaps he could say to Alex: “I appreciate how important this ministry is to you. It would be great to have someone to mentor

Recognise and deal with emotional allergies Emotional allergies are similar to physical allergies. A stimulus causes an overreaction and though the stimulus itself is not dangerous, the body’s response might be. Let’s take a closer look.

When Greg comes to talk to Alex about his involvement, Alex gets really upset. He feels that Greg isn’t pulling his weight and that he is jeopardising all the good things

that have been developed. He starts to wonder who might miss out if they can’t get the music group and social events running. This causes him to feel panicky – he doesn’t want anyone to miss out!

What Alex needs to do here is peel back the panic and fear of people missing out and recognise a primary emotion lurks underneath: Alex doesn’t believe he is acceptable if he isn’t achieving. He seeks to do great things for God in order to be acceptable to God. Alex is emotionally allergic to feeling unacceptable.

There is normally a reason for our emotional allergies. In Alex’s case, at age twelve he and his friends sat entrance exams for a prestigious private school. All of his friends got in but despite working really hard, Alex didn’t. Alex had to start high school alone and didn’t see his friends again. He felt that he was not acceptable, he missed out, and he panicked back then in the same way he panics now. What can Alex do?

Alex needs to distinguish between then and now. How he felt in the past is not necessarily the truth about now. Feelings can lie – after all, feelings are just thoughts being brought to life moment by moment.

The way we feel doesn’t necessarily make something true. Alex needs to side with reality rather than reacting from how his brain has been wired.

But there is something else going on for Alex. He has had a suspicion that his output is not sustainable.

Yet when Greg and Grace raise their concerns, he feels that they are sabotaging his efforts. Rather than hearing what they are actually saying, Alex feels threatened. He is not able to to be honest and accept responsibility for where he may

The way we feel doesn’t necessarily make something true. v.132 no.6 † 5

Baptist / F E A T U R E

ALEX HAS A VICTIM M E N T A L I T Y. H E H A S W R O N G LY A S S O C I AT E D CORRECTION WITH REJECTION. need to bring change. Instead he claims to have no option but to carry on, and suggests that Grace and Greg might need to address their own lack of commitment.

Alex has a victim mentality: He has wrongly associated correction with rejection.

Grace has been watching this conversation. She decides to step in and help Greg out.

Be aware of your boundaries and resist the urge to rescue others from the consequences of their choices The team had a discussion a few weeks ago about boundaries. They agreed that they each needed to have their own flexible and consistent boundaries because it is within these boundaries that each can be responsible for their own behaviours, choices, reactions, needs, and wants: Others can be responsible for their own responses.

A couple of people were struggling with inconsistent boundaries and felt that they needed to take on the responsibilities that should belong to another. They recognised that this just meant the consequences that one individual should be addressing were being removed by someone else.

Grace is still struggling with this though. She likes to rescue people – she is highly aware of the needs and wants of those around her and will often excuse poor responses from other people. She would much rather fix the problem for them. Significantly though, Grace rescues because she has a need to feel needed. Helping makes her feel good about herself. Though

06 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

it might appear loving, she is actually being selfish. What should Grace do here?

Grace needs to take a step back.

She needs to let Greg raise his own concerns and take responsibility for working these through with Alex.

Grace needs to recognise that she cannot obtain her worth from always trying to fix other people’s problems. There is something else that might help Grace out.

Be replenished Grace has rescued people for as long as she can remember. She has always thought that this is a more worthwhile use of her time than doing anything for herself.

With the new church, she has barely even thought about what she would like for dinner! Grace needs to replenish herself. She used to love hockey and sailing, and found that they gave her so much joy and energy. But she hasn’t made any time for this for ages…Grace needs to regain her balance and ensure that she is being replenished, as do Greg and Alex.

Closing thoughts Alex, Grace, and Greg are giving a lot of themselves. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but there are some areas that need to be addressed so that they are a little more balanced. In addressing these areas, they will have more energy to love and serve well. They will regain their balance so that they can finish strong. __ Sarah Vaine This is based on Jenny Purkis’ talk from the Baptist Hui this year.

Jenny is a counsellor and speaker with Strength to Strength Counselling & Training. We thank Jenny for her input with this piece.

TAKE OUTS 1. Are there things that you have committed to that you resent? What would you need to renegotiate in order for this to be something that you can be involved with wholeheartedly?

2. What makes you acceptable to God? Talk with others about this. You could start by looking at Ephesians 2: 8-9 and James 2: 24.

3. Do you know what your emotional allergies are?

- Think back to the last time you overreacted. What were you feeling?

- If you go a bit deeper, what was the feeling lurking underneath?

- When was the first time you experienced this?

- What truth can you bring in now?

4. How healthy are your boundaries?

5. Write a list of all the things that replenish you and all the things that drain you. Is it balanced? If not, work out what would replenish you and what you might need to address in order that you are less drained.

6. If you are involved with church ministry, could you sit down with your team and reflect on the points in this article?

7. This article builds on Jenny’s article from last year.

Check out “Business CEO or Welfare Professional” in the leadership section of baptistmag.org.nz.

Baptist / H U I 2 0 1 6

HUI 2016 Dunedin laid on a special time for New Zealand Baptists who gathered under blue skies to enjoy the famous southern hospitality. We were hosted by Dunedin Central Baptist Church (DCBC), who celebrated their new church building with us, and we explored the theme of grace looking towards 2017 which marks 500 years since the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

T

he Hui began with the Baptist Missions Day. This gathering brings together missionaries with their prayer supporters and it’s a time to bring honest reports of life on the mission field. Everyone was encouraged when our kaihautu David Moko quoted the proverb, “Herenga tō waka ki te whetū kahore ki te titiwa: Tie your canoe to a star not a glow worm.”

David encouraged Baptist missionaries to continue to pray big prayers and dream big dreams. Later in the Hui, Rachel Murray led us through an update of new and returning missionaries. We celebrated years of mission service and met new missionaries preparing to head away in the near future.

We were welcomed onto Araiteuru Marae where we were treated to a wellcooked hangi. It was an honour to be

received here and begin to understand some of the local story that our hosts shared. We later visited the Rongo (memorial stone) and reflected on the fact that many of the Dunedin Māori come from Parihaka, in the Taranaki region, after their ancestors were imprisoned in Dunedin following the Parihaka invasion. (Interestingly, our 2017 Hui expects to take us to Parihaka.)

Throughout the Hui we explored five strategic priorities that Baptist leadership have presented to churches as a focus for the years ahead. These priorities call us to discern grace, embody grace, unleash grace, share grace, and nurture grace. George Weiland and Andrew Picard from Carey Baptist College opened up with a description of all of these priorities. They gave us a compelling picture of God-given grace moving through our churches. Inspired, we knew that we were in for an exciting few days. National Leader Craig Vernall spoke about Grace Discerned and considered the hope of grace described in Romans 7, weaving in three very dramatic and miraculous stories from his twenty-two years at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Carey Baptist College lecturers, facilitated by Myk Habets, spoke during a workshop about Grace Embodied and gave practical indicators about what this might look like. Sarah Harris, also from Carey Baptist College, spoke on Grace

Unleashed. She reflected on the power of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts that unleashed both men and women as agents of the gospel of grace. Children and Family Ministries Team Leader Karen Warner brought us a challenge relating to Grace Shared: children are our taonga, our treasure, and if we are going to be missional churches then we must place a high value on children and see them as a vital part of the church today. Carey Principal Charles Hewlett and Director for Ministry Training Jonny Weir reflected on Grace Nurtured. They focused on the need for churches to release those with leadership gifts, both men and women, in order that they might be trained up for church leadership.

Rachel Murray hosted a panel which discussed some key questions around recognising and encouraging women who are leaders amongst us. Baptist women were invited to share breakfast together at Caversham Baptist Church where Josie Te Kahu and Melanie Keith shared some of their own stories in a relaxed time of meeting new faces.

Our Ethnic and Multicultural National Team Leader, Steve Davis, introduced us to new Baptist congregations created by migrants who have recently settled in New Zealand. These included Chin Burmese, Chinese, and Filipino. With laughter, music, and exciting testimonies we celebrated God’s diversity.

v.132 no.6 † 07

Baptist / H U I 2 0 1 6

Baptist banquet at the Araiteuru Marae

Pōwhiri

Chin Glory Evangelical Church

Recommissioning NZBMS overseas staff

Women in leadership panel

Prayer & Self Denial 2017

Carey Baptist College lecturers as some of our keynote speakers

Dunedin City Baptist hosting amazingly

Praying for our incoming vice-president

Newly registered Baptist leaders

08 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

We were encouraged to embrace and welcome new cultures into our churches and reminded that we need to be intentional about inviting people into the centre of our church lives.

We heard from Peter Mihaere who shared some of his journey as the leader of Stand Against Slavery. Thank you for trusting us with some very vulnerable revelations about your health and whanau, Peter.

Dr Sandy Kerr is Kaiārahi-Rangahau Māori at Carey Baptist College. The Sutherland Lecture saw Sandy explore the question, “What would it be like if Te Kāreti Iriiri o Carey were bi-cultural?”

Our outgoing president Ben Wakefield reminded us of the need to listen to each other in our every day interactions, reflecting that listening is about “deliberately engaging to hear what is said,” and not just “awaiting our right to reply.” We want to thank you Ben for all you did last year. Our new president Jim Patrick shared with us a very moving story about his own family’s commitment to mission work in South America. We heard of the sacrifices made by Jim’s parents and the long-term fruitfulness of what was an extremely harsh mission endeavour. We welcome Jim and Lois to serve amongst our churches in the year ahead. Josie Te Kahu was elected as our incoming vice-president and we look forward to her bringing her own flavour to this role in the coming year.

Long serving Baptist leaders were recognised, including Trevor and Helen Geddes from DCBC, and we welcomed nineteen newly registered ministers to service within our local Baptist churches, each one presented with a taonga and certificate.

Hui 2016 closed with Kai-Hau-Kai, where kumara was shared with those who we journey life with.

We want to thank our MC Greg Motu, from Dannevirke Baptist Church. With the news that his daughter was in labour, we were delighted to celebrate with Greg and Leonie as they welcomed their new grandson on the Saturday morning. We all enjoyed worship well led by the DCBC music team and the Kaa-Morgan whanau from Franklin Baptist Church. The volume of the singing was something to be experienced as we all stretched our vocal cords to exclaim God’s worth. As part of this, we were also taught a haka by Greg and the Manatū Iriiri Māori team. Our huge thanks goes to the Baptist Union team, who arranged a great event, and of course the famous southern hospitality didn’t let us down – thank you to DCBC for all your hard work.

This year’s Hui will be remembered as a time of cultural diversity and a celebration of grace. We were inspired to embrace the goodness of God, celebrating all that he is doing in our midst.

New Zealand Baptists are a mission people who take responsibility for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our faith in God brings us close to His heartbeat for those who are lost and hurting. As a Baptist family we want to work closely with the Holy Spirit as he draws people to Jesus. We desire to be active in our communities to present the Kingdom of God in sign, word and deed.

In February 2016, the Baptist leadership teams gathered to consider how we approach the priority of mission within New Zealand. Our agreement flowed out of our sense of tradition and fresh vision for this nation.

We know that together we can serve the Lord by serving each other through prayer, encouragement and the sharing of resources.

DISCERN

EMBODY

UNLEASH

SHARE

NURTURE

We believe that the following 5 priorities will allow our churches to face the future with confidence.

My prayer is that our NZ Baptist family will take these priorities to heart so they become the priorities of your local church. Together we can trust and believe God for a fruitful spirit led future.

Every blessing

Baptist National leader

We will be a movement that passionately seeks God’s Kingdom on earth.

By seeking His will and seeing His activity in our communities we will be given the confidence and direction we need to engage in His mission. Jesus said: “apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5

We will maintain and strengthen our Baptist distinctive. We will celebrate God’s success amongst us as we seek to “inspire each other to good works” Hebrews 10:24

We will encourage creative and diverse evangelistic expressions of church mission and community, giving God room to establish His kingdom through fresh and dynamic ways

We will celebrate and develop our bi-cultural partnership and our ethnic diversity, valuing that we are made in the image of God.

We will establish a strong culture of leadership development. We will be intentional to identify, equip and empower Kingdom focused leadership.

Baptist / D I S C I P L E S H I P

LEARNING TO

LEAD Prixel Creative/lightstock.com

Shaped through pain and joy

If anyone had told me twenty years ago that I would one day be leading a church, I would have told them that they were completely crazy - but here I am and totally loving it.

M

y leadership journey began when I received a prophetic word at seventeen from my pastor at the time, who simply said to me: “Ingrid I believe that you will one day teach, preach, and minister to people.” If you had known me then, you would have asked, “How can that be?” I had difficulty even talking with people because of past pain in my life.

Yet that word dropped into my spirit the day I heard it ... though I had no idea how it would come about! The journey has been full of incredible joy

10 10 † v.132 † v.132 no.6 no.4 baptistmag.org.nz baptistmag.org.nz

and incredible pain but through it all God has been faithful to me and there are many lessons that I have learned (and that I continue to learn).

Learning to trust God’s leading I believe that one of the most important things in leadership (and in life) is to trust God in spite of the challenging circumstances we might find ourselves in. One of my favourite verses is Proverbs 3: 5-6 which simply says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

So often we depend on ourselves; on our own wisdom, gifting, or charisma. Instead of seeking God’s leading, we forge ahead on our own.

On occasion it has appeared that choices God has asked me to make are a backward step. For example, I felt a number of years ago that God was leading me to do a ministry internship diploma through my church

I B E L I E V E T H AT ONE OF THE MOST I M P O R TA N T T H I N G S IN LEADERSHIP (AND IN LIFE) IS TO TRUST GOD IN SPITE OF THE CHALLENGING C I R C U M S TA N C E S WE MIGHT FIND O U R S E LV E S I N .

even though I had done some training elsewhere previously. I had to come back to the fact that God knows what he is doing and he knows where we need to be in order that he can bring about his plans and purposes in our lives and the lives of others. He knows the future he has planned for us even if it does looks like a backward step in the eyes of others.

Sometimes we may hear what God is saying, but instead of waiting for him to continue to lead us in this, we try to bring it about ourselves. When God was speaking to me about doing the internship through my church, I immediately talked to the leadership, but was told that it wouldn’t happen.

I went back to God and said, “God, what is going on?” Amazingly, just a few weeks later (due to someone stepping down) I was asked to do an internship with a major focus on youth! It’s not to say that we sit back and do nothing - it means we continue to do whatever God has put in front of us, lead the best we can where we are, and trust God to bring about that promotion or new opportunity in his timing.

I have learned to trust God in spite of enormous pain in my life. A few years ago, when I was having conflict with someone in leadership, I was prophetically writing in my journal and sensed God say: “Ingrid I have confidence in you. I love you. I have prepared a plan for your life. You are precious to me. Do not be afraid. This time that seems so painful now, you will look back on and laugh in the years to come because I am working strength in you; strength of mind, strength of character. I love you Ingrid, but I need to plumb you to the depths of your being in order to be able to use you for my plans and purposes.

You thought you knew the way, you thought you knew the path, but you have no idea of what is in store for you: For you will see many come into the kingdom of God. But it will not be about you, it will be about me. That is why I am at work exposing your

weaknesses, because if they remain the structure will not be strong and will not be able to carry what I have designed it to carry. So do not be afraid. Trust, trust, trust. When things don’t appear to go so well, trust me.

Don’t think you have done something wrong. Trust me. Don’t trust in your feelings. Trust me. Don’t trust in your emotions. Trust me.” There followed the most painful season of my entire life. God used it to change me and make me someone who he could trust in spite of the painful circumstances I might find myself in.

I learned to trust God at a level beyond that which I ever had before.

I watched God supernaturally turn situations around that I could not through my own strength. I learned to encourage myself in God so that I could encourage the team I was leading at the time. I learned that God alone is the author of my destiny.

Power of prayer One of the most important lessons I have learned is the necessity as a leader to pray. It’s so easy to rely on past experiences or knowledge instead of relying on God through prayer.

This was made even more clear to me when I discovered the power of praying for an hour a day in the Spirit. As I prayed in tongues my personality got changed. I got changed. Instead of being up and down depending on circumstances or people around me, my emotions began to balance out. It was like I had a wall of protection around me that fortified me against all the painful things going on in my life. I started to be stable, dependable and reliable in a way I had never been before. Even if things hurt, they no longer rocked me. I no longer needed approval from significant people in my life. I started operating at a whole new level, both as a leader and prophetically.

I have learned that I need to keep that daily habit of prayer up because it brings life to me; it keeps me sharp spiritually. When I don’t pray, things

around me can tend to fall apart.

I sometimes wish I could be like others who are more relaxed in their prayer life, but God knows me and knows how to keep me connected and dependent on him.

Heart attitudes One book that has really helped me out is A Tale of Three Kings – a study in brokenness, written by Gene Edwards. This book was given to me to read when I was seventeen, by the pastor who gave me the prophetic word mentioned earlier.

It’s a book about three kings in the Bible - Saul, David and Absalom - and their leadership. But it’s also a book about trusting in God. I believe it is a must-read for anyone who aspires to leadership or is in leadership. In chapter seven, Edwards says this: “What can a man, especially a young man, do when the king decides to use him for target practice? What if the young man decides not to return the compliment?

First of all, he must pretend he cannot see spears. Even when they are coming straight at him. Secondly, he must also learn to duck very quickly. Lastly, he must pretend nothing at all happened.

You can easily tell when someone has been hit by a spear. He turns a deep shade of bitter. David never got hit.

Gradually he learned a very well-kept secret. He discovered three things that prevented him from ever being hit.

One, never learn anything about the fashionable, easily-mastered art of spear throwing. Two, stay out of the company of all spear throwers. And three, keep your mouth tightly closed.

In this way, spears will never touch you, even when they pierce your heart.”1

W H E N I D O N ’ T P R AY THINGS AROUND ME CAN TEND TO FALL A P A R T. v.132 no.6 † 11

Baptist / D I S C I P L E S H I P

I love that. Little did I know as a seventeen-year-old that this particular quote would guide and keep me in future situations where I had to make difficult choices: Choices not to throw spears back; choices to keep my mouth shut; choices not to seek revenge but instead to seek God. There may be times of conflict in our lives. It is important to know when to speak up and when to stay silent. At times it may not seem just. But we need to seek God, walk in forgiveness, believe the best is possible, and keep our hearts clean from offence and bitterness.

I believe that it is those choices that have led me to where I am now. I look back and thank God that in spite of myself, through his help I got through that painful time.

Expectations We lead because God has called us – not because we have called ourselves, and not even because others have called us. If our motivation is to lead because of other people and what they think of us, we risk failing in the dark times and dark times inevitably come. Following God’s call can be hard. But God sees when we are being faithful and doing what we are supposed to be doing, and he sees the sacrifices we make, even when no-one else does. God is able to take us - like he did with Joseph in the Old Testament - from a place of pain to a place of promise.

As leaders we need to be honest with ourselves in order to continue growing and changing. I lived in the States for two years and during my

JUST BECAUSE YO U M I G H T B E I N A POSITION OF L E A D E R S H I P, I T DOESN’T MEAN T H AT YO U C A N B E A D I C TATO R !

12 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

time there I was involved in leadership.

I remember one of the other leaders in the organisation accusing me of being dictatorial. Ouch! But I was - it was my way or the highway, and needless to say it didn’t go down very well with other people. A very valuable lesson I learned is that just because you might be in a position of leadership, it doesn’t mean that you can be a dictator! (Well, I guess you can but I’m thinking it may not go well for you!).

Leadership is also about releasing others to be and become all that God created them to be. As leaders we need to be able to see the potential in others. Every person is born with potential that God has placed within them and I believe that one of our tasks is to encourage, equip and empower people to become the best that God has created them to be.

Closing thoughts Maybe you are reading this frustrated because you feel like you are being overlooked for any number of reasons. When I lived in the States I was frustrated because it seemed that only women who were married to men in ministry were able to preach or teach. I shared these frustrations with my friend and mentor at the time and she said to me, “Ingrid, your gift will make a way for you.” She told me I needed to trust God. I am so glad I have because truly I have seen God make a way where there seemed to be no way and I find myself with the awesome privilege of leading in an amazing church, with amazing people, regularly preaching and teaching.

His timing is truly the best. If I had been leading a church five years ago I quite honestly think I would have destroyed it because life was actually a lot about me! I needed those hard times to shape and mould me as a leader.

I am grateful to the five pastors who have led the churches I have been in, or who I have led under in the years since I was a teenager.

I have learned lots of things through their leadership. I have been encouraged, challenged, and even disciplined at times - but I am a better leader because of it.

Aristotle said, “He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.” I have learned to lead by following and honoring those who God has placed as an authority over me. I want to especially thank David Costar who gave me the prophetic word when I was seventeen, and who continues to speak into my life and encourage me both in my pursuit of Jesus and in my role as the pastor of a church – I am so, so grateful. __ Story: Ingrid Shaw Ingrid is the pastor at Atawhai Community Church.

Gene Edwards. 1980. A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness. (p. 19-20). Auburn.

Christian Books.

1.

TAKE OUTS: 1. Where is God asking you to be faithful today? Where might he be leading you?

2. What do you think the balance is between letting God open doors and pushing doors yourself?

3. How easy do you find it to trust that God knows what he is doing? How much does your prayer life reflect this?

4. Are there things that God may be wanting to teach you at the moment? How could you explore this further?

5. What influences the way you lead? Is it God, yourself, or the opinions of others?

Baptist / C H I L D & F A M I L Y

Seeking an Inheritance Being part of the family We need to take a look at intergenerational faith formation. Sounds… deep/ exciting/technical/interesting/ daunting/vital/trendy. Why is this something to explore and what does it even mean? We caught up with Karen Warner to discover more.

Karen, what is intergenerational faith formation all about?

Karen: This is about the growth and deepening of faith in all of our lives, nurtured in relationship with those of all ages.

Why is this important?

Karen: We are designed to live in relationship with others. But we are not meant to journey solely with people who are like us – we all need people who are different from us to cause us to reflect on our beliefs, be challenged, and grow. Equally, we

need those from generations above and below us to help us engage with God. We do need our peers as well those going through and learning the same things as us - but I don’t think faith grows in the same way by just spending time with our peers.

Let me talk from my experience.

As a child, I saw the faith of my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, as well as other children and adults in my church. Having other adults around who I looked up to, but maybe weren’t quite as close as Mum and Dad, meant I had people I could talk to about the things I was struggling with.

As a young adult, my small group leader was a retired guy who had lived a pretty colourful life. I learnt so much from his experiences and wrestles. He died more than twenty years ago, but his input into my life is still significant.

Now as an older adult, I interact with children and I am reminded why

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children” (Luke 18: 16; Mark 10: 14).

Children have such trust and so few barriers between them and God. It feeds my faith. When I talk with children about faith, it causes me to really consider my own journey – they are going to ask the hard questions!

When I talk with an older person, say about a passage of Scripture, they can tell me about the reality of that passage lived out. I can see how they have wrestled with faith and held on through highs and lows. I am able to see that just as God has been with them, so he will be with me. Their wisdom and experience is so valuable.

And teenagers! When I spend time with teenagers, I see how fired up they can be to change the world: They haven’t learnt yet that the world might knock them! They often have an energy that reminds me to get out there and get on with it. My age

v.132 no.6 † 13

Baptist / C H I L D & F A M I L Y

WE ARE COAPPRENTICES ON OUR FAITH JOURNEYS. group can get a bit jaded and cynical, so I need that refreshing!

Most of us are used to learning from someone older than us, or maybe more experienced. How do we learn from those younger or less experienced?

Karen: I’m not just talking about cognitive learning. Faith formation is also about an emotional connection.

Faith isn’t just about our heads; we need our hearts to be engaged. One day we might come across something that completely throws us logically and I think we need to hold onto faith experienced. This is something we can learn from all ages. For example, if I spend time with a child, they are probably not going to explain the original context of a Scripture, but their prayers might well teach me about being open with God and trusting him.

I heard a story the other day of a dad who was supervising the crèche. He watched as a two-year-old laid out all the dolls and put her hands on each one. It turns out that she was praying a blessing for each of them, just as her parents prayed for her at night. This dad was inspired to think about how to pray for and with his children. In these situations we have to ask what God is teaching us through children.

We are co-apprentices on our faith journeys – apprenticeships are often the more experienced teaching the less experienced. But with intergenerational learning, we can learn from everyone.

Of course there are things we need to teach our children, but children can also show us so much.

Why is this something we need to look at now?

Karen: I think that more than ever our society has become really segregated by age. We have preschool, youth group, and retirement villages...people

14 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

didn’t talk about going to retirement villages when I was growing up!

Everyone lived on one street. There was Mrs Jones (who made amazing jam) and the North family (whose son was a ratbag) – we had shared experiences together. We are not naturally doing that anymore so we miss out. I think we have also become both independent and selfish as a society. We tend to look out for ourselves and what suits us best, rather than considering what those around us need.

These aspects are quite often replicated in our churches. Our times together are generally split into agespecific activities, and we can be more of an institution that caters for different preferences than a body moving together towards the same goal.

When I look through Scripture, I see those of all ages journeying life together. I see the church designed to live as an organism, and I see how Jesus called us to lay down our own preferences for each other.

We are not just buildings that put on slick operations. We are people that belong together and need each other, in order that we might journey the messiness of life together and grow in our faith alongside one another.

So should we be moving away from Sunday school, youth group, and other agespecific ministries?

Karen: I’m not saying we shouldn’t have Sunday school, or some agesegregated learning. Everyone needs time at their own level. But if this is the only way we learn and experience, then all of us will be spiritually poorer for it.

It’s not about making huge overhauls to all aspects of church life. It is more about a set of lenses through which we look at what we do, and encourage a culture where we expect to journey with one another.

On a corporate level, we need to be asking how we can make small tweaks to our times together, so that we are experiencing and learning together. What about having an all-age

homegroup? How can we spend time together socially? Could we set aside a weekend to go away as a church and have some quality time getting to know one another? On a Sunday morning, what are the ways that we can engage everyone at some point in the service? Who could be praying, or serving communion, or welcoming people? Can we pair people up of different ages so that they begin to develop a relationship? How often should we have all-age services? This might be a bit messier, and might need some things to change (including the length of the service!) – but I find that when the heart behind it is explained, the understanding is there, and people can get excited. Ultimately it’s all about wanting to be with one another and making connections.

What impact could this have on our families and communities?

Karen: I would hope it could be of great impact! Let’s think about how we encourage a sense of belonging.

Imagine you are new to a church.

You turn up and see a church of all ages – there is a place for you. But not only this, those older than you are interested in your life, and those younger than you want to relate to

WE CAN BE MORE OF AN INSTITUTION THAT CATERS FOR DIFFERENT NEEDS THAN A BODY MOVING TOGETHER TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL.

you. You can be part of an extended family. There is something about this that witnesses to the heart of God. Now consider you are a young family. Life is busy, sometimes other things come up on a Sunday. You might make it to church one in three Sundays (this is not uncommon). The issue with this is that when attendance is too irregular, it is difficult to make relationships, and faith really isn’t grown well. The likelihood is that your family will just drift to a different activity. But what might happen if children were rostered to help out with services? What might the conversations at home look like?

“Mum and Dad, we can’t go out on the boat today, I’m praying at church… We need to find a different day to play football because I’m in the worship team.” Could our families be drawn back in because of the involvement of their children?

Next imagine you are a young adult. You have grown up in the church, and gone to Sunday school and youth group. But now youth group has finished and the only place for you to go is the main service…where you

WE ARE PEOPLE WHO BELONG TOGETHER AND NEED EACH OTHER.

know a handful of people. You haven’t ever connected here; it has never been your place of belonging.

It is hard to get stuck in and much easier to stay at home. What might it look like for our young adults if the wider church had always been their place of belonging?

On a practical level, there are young parents in our churches who need support. They need those who have gone before them to feed them ideas, cheer them on, and give them opportunities to have a break. This is something that has caused me to reflect on my journey and what I have learnt, and consider that perhaps the low points weren’t wasted! There are older folk in our churches who need some practical help. Here are opportunities for the younger generations to get to know the older generations, build relationships, serve each other, and grow.

Closing thoughts Karen: Consider the relationships between the generations in your own setting. If you are a leader in your church, talk as a leadership team about how you can work together in this. I believe that faith is most fully grown in community, through observing and being part of lives of faith. We need one another wherever we are on our faith

KOINONIA KIWISAVER SCHEME

journeys. Ultimately, this is about the fact that we all belong at the feet of Jesus together. __ Story: Sarah Vaine with Karen Warner Karen is the Children and Family Ministries Team Leader for the Baptist Churches of New Zealand.

If you want to read more, try: • Intergenerational Christian Formation – Holly Catterton Allen and Christine Lawton Ross • Body Beautiful: Recapturing a Vision for All-age Church – Philip Mounstephen and Kelly Martin To borrow these for free, contact childrensministry@baptist.org.nz.

TAKE OUTS 1. Do you have faith-forming relationships with those older or younger than you?

2. How much intergenerational interaction is there in your church?

3. What could you do to explore this further?

4. If you have any stories of intergenerational faith formation please email sarah@baptistmag.org.nz.

A scheme run by Christians for Christians www.koinonia.org.nz 0508 738 473 | info@koinonia.org.nz

The ethical KiwiSaver scheme for Christians

Contact us for a copy of the Product Disclosure Statement v.132 no.6 † 23is the issuer The New Zealand Anglican Church Pension Board and Trustee of the Koinonia KiwiSaver Scheme

Baptist / C U L T U R E

Part III

What Are We Fighting For? Is there a correct Christian stance on war and conflict?

This is the third and final article in our series which considers our response to war and conflict. Having guided us through statistics, explanations and definitions, Mick Duncan shares his personal perspective and we also hear from Tim Shallard and New Zealand Defence Force Chaplain Stuart Hight.

16 †v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

WRESTLING WITH MY CONVICTIONS I said I would come clean and share with you my views on war and conflict, although the reality is I still struggle with this question, which in one sense is impossible to answer.

From the comfort of a secluded cottage, coffee in hand, how can I really know how I might respond when faced with the bloody reality of war and uniformed soldiers with loaded guns?

I wrestle with this question in my setting, though, because in moments of crisis we’re told to have the courage of our convictions. To have courage, we need convictions, and these often need to be formed in studious solitude. The pain of discipline in the study can prepare us for pain on the streets; what we think in private affects how we behave publicly.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor in the 1930s. After quiet and serious reflection, he came to the view that Adolf Hitler had to be removed from power, even if it was at the point of a gun. In fact, Bonhoeffer said he would be willing to pull the trigger himself, then ask God for forgiveness. You may disagree, but in his view Hitler was like an out of control truck, swerving this way and that, harming and maiming people that got in its way. What should the Christian response be? To bandage the maimed and wounded on the sidewalk? Or to drive a spike through the truck wheels to stop it?

Bonhoeffer, having prayed and given deep thought to the matter, determined the truck must be stopped. War was a big issue facing the church of his day and he knew he needed to think straight and clear about the events before him. He put

his thoughts down on paper outlining his course of action. Having done the work in the study, he was prepared to later act accordingly (although his efforts, in conjunction with others, ultimately failed).

How prepared are you to take your convictions from pen to pavement?

If you have read the previous two articles in this series on war and conflict, then you will be aware of the different stances on war. As you read these articles, what was your response? Are you a pacifist? Are you in favour of a just war? Where should Christians stand on this issue?

I have to admit that in the past few years my personal stand has shifted somewhat. I have been a staunch devotee of pacifism. I considered it wrong for all - me, others or armies - to take the life of another human being. But recent conflicts that mirror the evil rampage of Hitler have given me cause for pause. Maybe Bonhoeffer was right and it falls on some of us to take up arms to silence evil?

I am indebted to John Goldingay who has helped me to forge another view. He makes the following points: 1. Human life is characterised by war and conflict.

2. War is not one thing. There are liberative wars, defensive wars, aggressive wars, and punitive wars.

3. War is a reality in which God sometimes takes part. God does not abjure the use of force and violence.

4. War will have no place in the end.

Eventually, God will terminate it.

5. It is important that some Christians are pacifists as a reminder to the church and to the world that God’s creation is not meant to be at war with itself - war is unnatural.

6. Some of us must love our enemies by lying in front of their tanks.

Others must love the oppressed by taking to the tanks in order to put down wrong.1 I am a pacifist and would like to think that I have the courage of my convictions to lie in front of the tanks.

Given current realities though, I believe the world regrettably also needs those courageous enough to take to the tanks in the name of the oppressed.

Some will argue that I have taken the easy way out - that I get to hold my pacifist position while others do the dirty work of war, making it possible for me to keep expressing my views from a comfortable cottage over a coffee. Both positions are hard to live out. As history bears witness, pacifists are often maligned and stigmatised, particularly during times of crisis. And of course many have lost their lives after taking up arms on behalf of the oppressed. One view can lead to a sociological death, the other to a physical one.

It remains though, that both the serious student of truth pursuing non-violence and active pacifism, and the believer seeking the courage of their convictions to step forward and act in times of war and conflict, must take considered risks in the hope that others might live. __ Story: Mick Duncan Mick lectures in Applied Theology at Carey Baptist College and describes himself as a shy, introverted minor kiwi prophet (!)

John Goldingay. Old Testament Theology, vols. 1-3 (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003).

1

v.132 no.6 †17 Forgiven Photography/lightstock.com

Baptist / C U L T U R E

DYNAMITE FOR A BATTLE-TORN PLANET “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5: 9-10).

9/11 On the morning of 11th September 2001, nineteen men affiliated with alQaeda hijacked four airliners bound for California. Once the hijackers assumed control of the airliners, they told those on board that they had a bomb but that they would spare the lives of passengers and crew once their demands were met.

Surely no passenger or crew member suspected that the airliners would be used as suicide weapons - that had never happened before. But tragically, that is what happened. The hijackers intentionally crashed two airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, in New York. Both buildings collapsed within two hours from fire damage related to the crashes, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into The Pentagon, just outside Washington D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected towards Washington D.C. to target the White House.

No flight had survivors. A total of 2,977 victims and the nineteen hijackers perished in the attacks.

As the images from America filled our screens, I sat on my bed with my dad.

Watching, he attempted to explain the depth and significance of the event that was unfolding before our very eyes.

But I was only nine, and my brain did not have the ability to understand the impact and complexity of this evil, so I picked up the idea that it was the ‘bad guys’ who attacked the ‘good guys.’

Through the little I could pick up while watching the news I learned (implicitly)

18 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

that the ‘bad guys’ lived in the Middle East, and they looked a certain way.

Through schoolyard jokes and cartoons, my understanding was reinforced with the narrative that it was ‘those people over there’ who did this.

So in the following weeks when President George Bush announced that “This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while,” I along with most of the Christian West agreed. I bought into this narrative that called on the ‘good guys’ to take out the ‘bad guys.’

I’ve never had a particular affinity for war, or violence. I’ve never had a punch up, or enjoyed watching boxing, MMA, or the little scraps in rugby: They’ve always brought a little sick feeling to my stomach, and a deep sense that this isn’t how it’s supposed to be - this isn’t how we’re supposed to act.

But when it came to “This crusade, this war on terrorism,” I resigned myself that this is just how it has to be. After all, I’ve attended church all my life, and I wasn’t hearing another option. Plus I’d heard mention of this just war theory and I guessed that meant Jesus was okay with it…

What now?

Mahatma Gandhi led what is known as India’s independent movement. He organised boycotts against the powerful and oppressive British Empire, and led the movement through non-violent direct action (peaceful forms of civil disobedience) in order to bring about independence for India.

Interestingly, Gandhi daily meditated on the Sermon on the Mount. He made a fascinating comment once when he said: “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.” So what dynamite is he referring to?

We could start with Matthew 5: 38-39: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for

eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

I believe the words of this Scripture are just as relevant today as they were in first century Palestine: You have heard it said that the only way to fight power is with power. You have heard it said that we have no option but to fight back. You have heard it said that the only response to violence is more violence. But I tell you, Jesus is calling us to take a step forward; to go beyond the eye for eye mentality and embrace his radical call to non-violence.

Mick Duncan looked at pacifism in his second article in this series and explained that perhaps we have misunderstood this term. Pacifism is not necessarily an easy road – but it does open up alternative ways of dealing with conflict.

Sarah Thompson asked the question at Passionfest Peace Festival 2015: “What would the world look like if instead of spending money on violence and war, the same amount of money was invested into alternative ways of peacemaking?” I don’t know the answer to this question. It would require dreaming, imagination, and creativity. It would require conviction and courage. But perhaps we could start by agreeing with Ghandi that we “have a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet.”

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Jesus of Nazareth (Mathew 5: 44). __ Story: Tim Shallard Tim is a part owner of a pretty cool café in Auckland City. He studies theology at Carey Baptist College, runs a poetry collective, and is passionate about coffee, community, and living the dream.

Tim writes for Christian Today on behalf of Press Service International. This article has been adapted and was originally written for Christian Today. Used with permission.

WORKING IN THE WAR MACHINE Mick Duncan’s articles in the Baptist have invited us to consider our response to war. His title, “What are we fighting for?” could also have been, “Why are we fighting?”

I don’t believe anyone wants war.

Ask a veteran. People serve in the armed forces today for a variety of reasons: some for a sense of adventure, some to see the world, and some because they believe that they can make a difference. Generally those who join the defence force are trained in combat (depending on the role they have) but the primary roles of the New Zealand Defence Force are humanitarian aid, peace-keeping and peace-making.

As a New Zealand Defence Force chaplain, I - along with my colleagues - have had to answer the question, “Why are we fighting?” for myself. I have had to come to an understanding of what it means to work in ‘the war machine.’ There are times when I am called to go into conflict zones, or theatres of war, and there are times when I am required to carry a defensive weapon. Chaplains, along with the defence force, only go into those situations if the government of the day determines it necessary and the times when we carry a weapon are governed by the rules of engagement which are outlined before we enter the

TAKE OUTS!

conflict zones. Incidentally, on my predeployment training in Waiouru before going to Afghanistan, the commanding officer of the contingent took me to the range for our weapons qualification.

After the required number of rounds the sergeant at the range looked at our score cards and said, “Well Padre,

if we had to rely on you to protect us it would be curtains for us all!” But nonetheless, we are involved in times of front-line conflict. So how do I see my role?

In Afghanistan my role didn’t require me to prove my shooting ability; it was walking alongside - what we call the ministry of presence - that was the most needed. Men and women miles from home in a dangerous situation

with anxieties and concerns want someone to help them process, find solutions, pray with them, and show understanding. That’s our role - the ministry of presence. The saying goes, “There are no atheists in the foxholes” - many seek spiritual guidance and support when in conflict zones. It is a very unique experience.

War brings devastation to many people’s lives and chaplains help in the restoration process; not just spiritually but practically as well. My role in Afghanistan also involved teaching children English, helping the engineers build a playground for the children, and gifting supplies from New Zealand to needy communities.

For chaplains the issue isn’t whether you are for or against war: It’s about serving people and for us that is within the defence force. Sometimes this takes us to conflict zones - we go to support and serve defence personnel as well as the people who live in the conflict zones, in a variety of ways.

In the defence force we have a unique opportunity to “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.” ___ Story: Stuart Hight Stuart is a chaplain in the New Zealand Defence Force.

1. Mick comments, “To have courage, we need convictions, and these often need to be formed in studious solitude.” Does this resonate with you and if so, how can you address this?

2. Tim shares Ghandi’s comment: “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.” Do you agree? Is this something that you need to take seriously?

3. This is a huge topic. You may still not know what to think. This is an area to wrestle with in community. How could your church reflect on this series?

v.132 no.6 † 19

Baptist / L E A D E R S H I P

Gifted & CALLED

Pearl/lightstock.com

What does the Bible tell us about the women who walked with Jesus?

The Bible tells us about women who were disciples, leaders, teachers, prophets, and preachers. What can we learn from them? Sarah Harris considers some of the women who walked with Jesus in the first of a two-part series.

J

esus had many disciples, but the group we most readily identify today are ‘the twelve’ who Jesus called and named apostles. This small group of disciples were all Jewish men, and so the church has sometimes drawn normative conclusions about the gender of Jesus’ disciples from this

20 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

small group. (Interestingly the same conclusions are not drawn about their Jewish ethnicity.) As a result, we often fail to see the much wider group of Jesus’ disciples in the Gospels and forget the important roles they played.

This article aims to highlight the women who followed Jesus, and to dispel the myth that disciples in the first century were exclusively men. It also seeks to show that there is not a discipleship hierarchy, where men are somewhere near the top of a mythical leadership ladder and women are close to the bottom. The final objective is to explain why there were twelve men whom Jesus called: These men (and

all others) do matter, and it is important to acknowledge that!

Disciples are learners A ‘disciple’ could equally be translated ‘learner,’ and in Jewish culture a disciple followed a rabbi (teacher). Rabbis were men, so the Hebrew and Aramaic word for a disciple was therefore masculine.

Luke did make one exception when he called Tabitha a disciple using a feminine word in Acts 9: 36, but it appears that Luke may have coined this term and used it sparingly, as it was not a word in common currency.1 The clearest way to identify a first century disciple was not linguistic, but descriptive; we must

look at what people were doing and saying. Meier notes the distinctives of Jesus’ disciples: He initiated the calling of his followers; these people followed him physically, therefore they left their homes; and they risked danger and hostility as they travelled with Jesus.2 As such, discipleship was not an exclusively male activity.

Women as disciples Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, who followed Jesus on his itinerant ministry, are three examples of female disciples (Luke 8:1-3).

Mary was the most common female name in the first century,3 and so a descriptor was added for clarification.

Mary was from Magdala, or Migdal (Hebrew), and so she was Mary Magdalene. Magdala was a thriving city in the first century, and Mary must have been a woman with some level of social privilege as Luke tells us that she used her own wealth to provide for Jesus and the disciples as they travelled. She was someone who had been quite unwell, for Luke tells us that she had seven demons before Jesus healed her. It is likely she had been married, but with no husband in view, she was probably widowed or divorced. At this time, girls married at about age twelve to fourteen, so when she met Jesus she may not have been much older than twenty or thirty.

Let’s now look at Joanna: She was married to Herod’s steward Chuza (8: 3). Anyone employed as a manager in Herod’s house would have lived with a reasonable level of wealth and privilege, so Joanna would have known some degree of social status.

What is striking is that as a married woman, she left her husband to travel with a rabbi: Her discipleship was quite extraordinary.

Susanna is the third example of a female disciple, although Luke mentions that there were “many others” (8: 3). We know nothing more of Susanna, though she also supported Jesus’ kingdom ministry out of her resources.

TO SIT IN QUIETNESS AND FULL SUBMISSION IS THE POSTURE OF A DISCIPLE These women, however, do not enter the Gospel in three mere verses and then exit off the stage: They travelled with Jesus around Galilee and up to Jerusalem during the time of the passion, resurrection, and ascension.

In this period, Jesus taught the male and female disciples and sent them into ministry contexts.

Mary of Bethany and her sister, Martha, are other named female disciples (Luke 10: 38-42; John 11; 12: 2). They called Jesus “The Teacher” (John 11: 28) - an expression even the complementarian author Andreas Köstenberger acknowledges shows Jesus was their rabbi. He says: “The fact the expression is used here by a woman … is significant. Whereas contemporary rabbis regularly refused to instruct women, Jesus took a radically different approach.”4 In Luke’s Gospel, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet as a learner (10: 39): To sit in quietness and full submission is the posture of a disciple (see 1 Timothy 2: 11).

A significant discipleship incident occurred when Jesus’ mother and brothers came to him (Matthew 12: 46-50; Mark 3: 31-35; Luke 8: 19-21). Matthew tells us that someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” Jesus, “Pointing to his disciples” replied, “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” This positions discipleship around those carrying out God’s will,

or for Luke, those “who hear God’s word and put it into practice” (8: 21). This is something that women frequently exemplify.

Women as leaders The first theologian in Luke’s Gospel was a woman - Mary, the mother of Jesus. She had clear theological interest and her articulation of praise to God has been formative for the church because of its depth and clarity (Luke 1: 46-55). Synagogue and family prayers were filled with cycles of Scripture reading which aided a person’s knowledge of God and supported a theocentric worldview.

Women were participants and visible in synagogue life in the first century: The crippled woman was in the synagogue when Jesus called and healed her (Luke 13: 10-17). Yet the synagogue was a place in which women not only participated - some became leaders.

Vamosh notes that: “written sources, including tomb inscriptions … attest to women’s leadership roles. Their attendance in synagogue was a given.”5 Women learned about God in places other than ‘religious spaces.’

They were present at the dinner table where theological and philosophical discussion often occurred: The Bethany house is one example (John 12: 1-8) and Jesus was often around a meal table – we can see this in the Gospels. The Roman bath house was also a place where symposia were held and learning occurred. These were found throughout the Empire, including Palestine: In the large bath house in Beit She’an there is a Christian cross in one of the porticoes showing that this was part of a believer’s life. As a result, it should not be surprising to find that some women became teachers. Anna

The synagogue was a place in which women not only participated - some became leaders. v.132 no.6 † 21

Baptist / L E A D E R S H I P

is one such example.6 Luke 2: 36-38 tells how she habitually spoke of God’s coming redemption to all who were in the temple. This was not a one-off activity, signalled by the knowledge that she “never left the Temple” (2: 37) and the present continuous language of speaking in 2: 38. Anna was a recognised prophet for Israel in the time of Jesus. She stood in a significant line of Old Testament female prophets from Miriam, through Deborah, Noadiah, and Huldah, and she was the first of the eschatological prophetesses described in Joel and at Pentecost.7 Jesus’ crucifixion was one very significant place where women were found. In fact, we could say the women exhibited a loyalty to Jesus which stands in contrast to Peter who denied the Lord (Matthew 25: 69-75; Mark 14: 66-72; Luke 22: 54-62; John 18: 15-18, 25-27). These women were also involved at the time of Jesus’ burial and they were first to hear the news of Jesus’ resurrection. Mark, the first Gospel written, tells us how the women were commanded to go and tell the men what had happened (16: 7), and his narrative finishes with the women and their actions.

Matthew’s Gospel is similar but the women’s role is more intense: They were commanded to go and proclaim the news to the men (28: 10): They were divinely commissioned as proclaimers – preaching language!

In Luke’s narrative, the astonished women go to tell the men what had happened. Notably, the women exhibited faith while the men did not (24: 10-11).

We sometimes forget that Jesus appeared to the disciples again (Luke 24: 36). He opened their minds to understand the scriptures, commissioned them to be filled with the Spirit and to proclaim the gospel (24: 45-47; Acts 1: 8), and blessed them at the ascension (24: 50).

The women never exited the stage! They were a part of the early worshipping community

22 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

THE WOMEN NEVER E X I T E D T H E S TA G E !

(Acts 1: 14) and present at Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-39). Women were integral to Jesus’ discipleship team; it never was purely a one-gender group.

Yet Jesus did choose twelve Jewish men and their centrality to the wider story of Scripture is important. So what can we say of their role?

The twelve male disciples The twelve had a particular role to play in the story of Jesus, but they also have a part that is yet to come: Luke explains that they have an eschatological role when they will judge the twelve Jewish tribes (22: 30). (This is why they were Jewish and not Gentile men.) The twelve represent the culmination of the story of Israel (what has been in the past), and in that sense they fulfil the place of the twelve tribes. But the role of a disciple moved quickly to cross gender, ethnic, and social boundaries.

By the time John’s Gospel was written in about the 90’s, the twelve were known but they are only mentioned twice. I suggest that by this time it was clear that discipleship was not about these men, it was about a role that many played including Mary and Martha who feature strongly in the Fourth Gospel. This is confirmed in the book of Acts where women such as Lydia and Priscilla also feature prominently. In fact, Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, are often referred to as “the most prominent couple involved in the first-century expansion of Christianity,”8 and their wake is significant. This story (and that of Lydia) deserves more space than this article can allow, but suffice to say that this couple knew the scriptures more fully than Apollos (a key Christian leader), were teachers in the church at Ephesus, and explained Christological truth to this man. Priscilla and Aquila (yes she is mentioned first, defying cultural custom) are presented as

gifted and godly teachers who were of high standing. In many ways Priscilla epitomises the significance to which women in the early church rose, which I find very exciting.

I trust that when you pick up the Bible, your eyes will be increasingly enlightened to the work of God in and by both women and men. The mission imperative can only be fulfilled as each take their part and use their gifts to grow and build up the people of God, for God is sending all into the world.

Story: Dr Sarah Harris Sarah is a New Testament lecturer at Carey Baptist College.

John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, vol. 3 (New York: Doubleday, 2001), 78-80; Jacqui Lloyd, “The Women Who Followed Jesus,” Stimulus 20 (2013): 8-9.

2 Meier, 47-73.

3 Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospel as Eyewitness Testimony (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006), 89.

4 Andreas Köstenberger, John, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 337.

5 Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, Women at the Time of the Bible (Herzlia: Palphot, 2007), 93.

6 Sarah Harris, “Letting (H)Anna Speak: An Intertextual Reading of the New Testament Prophetess,” Feminist Theology (2017) forthcoming.

7 Turid Karlsen Seim, The Double Message: Patterns of Gender in Luke-Acts (London: T & T Clark, 1990), 177.

8 Greg W. Forbes and Scott D. Harrower, Raised from Obscurity: A Narratival and Theological Study of the Characterization of Women in Luke-Acts (Eugene: Pickwick, 2015), 193.

1

TAKE OUTS 1. What does your discipleship look like? Are there things that you would like to see change?

2. What is your view on women as disciples? What is your view on women as leaders in the church?

3. Does this article challenge any of your thinking? What could you do to explore and address this?

Baptist / F A M I L Y N E W S

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ANGELA PEDERSEN With the changes to the Baptist magazine two years ago, vision and experience was needed – this is exactly what Angela Pedersen brought!

Operating as the magazine manager for the last two years, Angela has guided the magazine team through the practical, creative, technical, and logistical realities of a magazine redesign. Her heart for inspiring and encouraging content and design has been greatly influential.

Two years on and with everything up and running, Angela has stepped down from this role.

Thank you so much Angela for your input to the magazine and the lives of the team – bless you heaps!

FAMILY NEWS

selection panel. The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Rawiri (David) Auty from Henderson Baptist Church and presented to him at Hui 2016 by Mrs Adrienne Stewart and New Zealand Baptist National Leader Craig Vernall.

LIONEL STEWART MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO RAWIRI AUTY

The Lionel Stewart Memorial Scholarship was established in 2016 after the passing of Reverend Lionel Stewart, to honour his work of bicultural reconciliation between New Zealand Māori and Pākehā. This scholarship seeks to encourage New Zealand Baptist pastors to further the work of bicultural reconciliation. Recipients will be registered Baptist leaders who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to New Zealand biculturalism and the $6000 fund must be spent in pursuit of the goals of bicultural reconciliation to the satisfaction of the

IN MEMORIAM – KEN MCCORMACK

The order of service simply read, “Celebrating the Life of Ken.” Ken, as he was affectionately known, was none other than William Kenneth James McCormack (31st October 1930 19th July 2016).

In 1956 Ken entered the New Zealand Baptist College. Being one of two married men accepted as college students, he did not live in the college but lived and pastored at Ponsonby Baptist Church, commuting each day for lectures. In the nearly sixty years following graduation Ken pastored at Ponsonby, Island Bay (now Wellington South), Caversham, Hastings, Oxford Terrace and Opawa, but his influence and service extended far beyond those immediate areas of pastoral leadership.

A long standing member of a wide variety of boards and councils, his service was honoured by his election,

in 1976, to president of the New Zealand Baptist Union and Missionary Society.

His commitment to the welfare of the wider community saw him installed as president of the New Zealand Stroke Foundation, of which he was later made a life member for his services to the organisation.

It’s not so much what Ken did that impressed as who he was. Shakespeare reminds us in As You Like It that “All the world’s a stage,” and Ken’s innate thespian qualities readily acknowledged that: Participating in and proclaiming The Greatest Drama Ever Staged required all the best qualities of an actor.

Roly Scott tells of sitting in a service at Caversham in 2005 where Ken was the guest preacher: “I sat there mesmerised by the oratory, the drama of the occasion, and the presence of the man in the pulpit.” Scott Cadman, writing

of Ken’s friendship, recalls: “Ken was full of life, a bit of an actor in the good sense. He was a great preacher and an interesting and informed person, as well as a consummate story teller given less than half a chance.” It’s that thespian presence that rubbed off on those who knew him well. A big man in every way, both physically and spiritually, he graced the stage of New Zealand Baptist life, and that of the many communities in which he worked.

Sadly Joy, Ken's deeply loved and lifelong-partner, died five weeks after he did. We thank you Ken, Joy, and your family, for the way you enriched our Baptist family of churches. Words used at Ken’s funeral from Canon Henry Scott Holland’s poem "Death is Nothing at All," remind us: “What is death? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?"

v.132 no.6 † 23

Baptist / F A M I L Y N E W S

BRIAN SHAW RETIRES

Brian Shaw joined the Board of the Manurewa Children's Home in the 1970s. A few years later he became chair of the board and except for a three-year gap, he remained chair until his retirement in 2016. This is a remarkable achievement during which he has overseen several significant changes in the way care for children is delivered.

In 1989, long-term residential care for vulnerable children was largely phased out by the government and replaced with foster care and

short-term placements. The Baptist residential facility in Manurewa was closed and eventually sold. The board also underwent transformation.

Hands-on care was transferred first to Baptist Family Services and then to Iosis. Baptist Children’s Trust was established as a funding resource for these and other child and family services. Brian's investment banking experience was put to good use during these changes and the trust now has over $6 million in assets.

Beyond his dedicated commitment

to ensuring Baptists working with children were provided with quality support and outcomes, Brian has been involved with the Tabernacle Trust and the Auckland Association, and been active with the Historical Society.

He now heads to a well-earned retirement with the best wishes of the many who have benefited from his skills and faithful service. “God will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6: 10).

Photo (from left) Back row: Mary Browning, Peter Browning, Ken Allen, Gwen Allen, Daniel Palmer, Colin Hood, Sarah Cowen, Michaela Vernall, Craig Vernall Front row: Dorothy Hood, Linda Palmer, Brian Shaw, Janet Shaw

KARANGA

Recently in the quiet town of Kawhia, twenty-five Māori women (and two school-aged girls) gathered at Mokaikainga Marae to wānanga about karanga. Standing at the gateway of Mokai Kainga Marae and gazing towards the whare-tūpuna, three wahine Māori waited to greet the group: Karen Bishop, the kaiwhakaako, and two carved figures of wahine Māori.

According to the kaumātua, the intent was that if a kaiwhaikōrero ever found himself to be alone, there would always be wahine there to karanga. It seemed very fitting that this wānanga should be at this marae. Karen likened the karanga to a spiritual rope that is extended to the manuhiri, at the commencement of a pōwhiri. Each group honours the other, weaving a continuous ‘spiritual rope’ that ‘pulls’ the manuhiri onto the marae. As the spiritual rope crosses over from one side to the other, a connection occurs between two strangers or parties; connection to our past, present, and future. This is a foundation for a relationship built on trust. Initially many were apprehensive and feeling less then confident. Karen carefully removed the enshrouding mist that often accompanies karanga, and explained the tikanga. By the next afternoon, each wahine stood with mana, dignity, and confidence. In her own unique voice, each gave a karanga of welcome.

24 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

Let’s be reminded of God’s karanga or call to us, and our response to him. We have a call to serve and reach those around us, and in our hands we have this unique taonga to do all of these things, in his name.

Check out the definitions of these Māori words at maoridictionary.co.nz

FROM YOUTH WORKER TO MAYOR

Selwyn District in Canterbury has a new mayor. Sam Broughton won the race for Selwyn District and became one of the country's youngest mayors overseeing an $80 million-plus budget. At just thirty-five years old, Sam has been active in local council since elected a councillor six years ago. He has aspired to the mayoralty since then, and through listening and working for people, and providing a younger voice for the fast growing area, Sam gained most votes in a five-way contest to be Selwyn’s mayor.

Sam grew up on a sheep farm in Darfield and campaigned to “Protect our Heritage, Embrace our Diversity, Grow our Future.” There is heritage of strong community, but the district is changing quickly: Population and businesses are growing and agriculture is changing. With the many opportunities, Sam has promised to listen to the wide ranging ideas and concerns and lead an inclusive council that will give vision and heart to the aspirations of the residents.

Sam is married to Liz and they are expecting their first child next year.

He has been youth pastor at Darfield Baptist Church for twelve years, effective and valued in developing the work and growing young leaders.

The church are so pleased for Sam and will support and pray for him through his term.

GROWING BURMESE CHURCHES Did you know that there are more than ten Burmese churches within the Baptist Union of New Zealand?

We have been blessed to partner with Chin Burmese, Karen Burmese, and Kachin Burmese over the last six years.

Nana Ka is part of Auckland Karen Baptist Church, which came into partnership with the New Zealand Baptist Union in 2015. Here is some of his story.

I was born in Myanmar (Burma) and come from one of the larger ethnic groups in Myanmar; we call ourselves Karen. The Karen people settled in southern and eastern Myanmar, but there is ongoing conflict between Burmese and Karen. Karen people want freedom from Burmese oppression.

In 1998 the Burmese military came to my village and burned down houses and tried to kill the villagers because we lived in Karen State and they treated us as their enemy. I had to escape from Burma to Thailand when I was ten years old because of the civil war.

When I lived in Thailand there was no future for people who lived in the refugee camps. Every day was the same. As a little boy I never thought that one day I would have the opportunity to study in a very developed country. The only thing I wanted was a safe place to live and enough food for me and my family.

But by the grace of God, we were accepted into New Zealand under the United Nations refugee quota. In October 2006 I arrived here with my elderly grandparents. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to study, work, and choose things to do.

When I arrived in New Zealand everything was new to me; language, culture and the way people live here.

I found learning English challenging because English is very complicated.

But I think the hardest thing for me was that my grandparents were both sick. My grandmother was suffering from cancer and my grandfather from depression and dementia.

There was only me to look after my grandparents (my parents were still in the Thailand refugee camp), I didn’t know the language, and I had to cope with my study at the same time. Sometimes I missed class and sometimes I didn't attend school for two or three days a week because of hospital appointments and their sickness.

My grandma passed away last year but now I have my parents and my two sisters to help me look after my grandfather.

We began to form our Karen church here in Auckland in 2001.

At first we worshipped in a house because we had only a few families.

It wasn’t easy because we didn’t have a pastor and no one had a very deep knowledge of the scriptures.

Sometime it has been hard to work with the young people because they don't understand our Karen language very well and they don't respect the adults whose English isn’t very good. The good thing is we can still worship in our language because most of the adults don't understand English and that gives us the chance to pass on the culture and language to the next generation.

I think partnership with Kachin (another ethnic group from Burma), other churches, as well as wider Baptist churches, is a good idea because as Christians we need to fellowship with other people and build up our relationships with others. This will give us the opportunity to work for the mission of God with the big picture in mind.

v.132 no.6 † 25

Baptist / F A M I L Y N E W S

MORE GOOD IN THE HOOD! Crave café in Morningside, Auckland, is about connecting with and creating a great neighbourhood. And now they have a new home (just over the street)!

Over the last few years, Crave has been getting busier – this is great, but it has meant that having space to sit and connect with those who come in has been a challenge. In exploring some options to expand the café, an irresistible

offer came up. The landlord of a large building across the street offered his space, suggesting he renovated the place and give the cafe a sum of money towards new equipment. What a legend!

Essentially, he wants to invest in the neighbourhood too.

Much thought has been put into the build, including the library (where a library card lets you spend as much time as you like, but also signifies that you will clear your dishes and take care of the space), the communal tables (for people to mix and meet – strategically placed next to

CALLED TO CARE

A GOLDEN JUBILEE

the entrance making the ethos clear from the outset), and the meeting rooms.

Crave was keen to create a great meeting space for the businesses in the area – businesses are needed for an area to thrive and great space is pretty inspiring.

It’s all about bringing some ‘good to the hood.’ The building is three times the size, but the team is keen for it not to become three times as busy – they want space to be able to sit with their neighbours who come in. This might be a challenge though…the great space is attractive and welcoming!

K ING DOM IN

New Zealand Faith Community Nurses Association had a very successful conference in September entitled Called to Care. Sessions included “Theology of Pastoral Care,” “A Māori Perspective of Caring,” and “Caring with Compassion.”

Practical workshops and experiences were shared with regards to the setting up and administration of foot care clinics and health promotion initiatives in Nelson's faith communities. These included stories of what it means to be a faith community or parish nurse walking alongside people in need. The importance of self-care and spiritual supervision, and ethical issues of caring from a Christian perspective were also considered. Delegates celebrated (with cake) The Queen’s Service Medal awarded to Elaine Tyrrell for her services to nursing and the community within the Nelson Parish. Elaine has been the inspiration and driving force birthing and raising NZFCNA from its inception in 2003. Throughout two days, delegates were ministered to, welcomed and farewelled by a wonderful group of people. The next conference will be held in Auckland in September 2017. You are very welcome.

Linda Beebe, Jo Little, Julie Cotter, Carol Renouf, and Helen Vaughan.

26 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

Pakuranga Baptist Church celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in September this year with a series of special events held over one weekend.

One morning many of the older attendees admired early photographs and shared memories together over a high tea. One evening there was an international dinner. Previous pastors Colin and Julie Crocker, and Derek and Isa Christensen were present.

This was attended by over 400 people. Sunday morning saw a thanksgiving service where Charles Hewlett, principal of Carey Baptist College, encouraged the congregation from their history and Philippians 1 - that God who started a good work in them would continue it to completion. One of the highlights was a jubilee cake modelled on the church building which was cut with Pastor Andrew Brown by foundation members Jeanette Jupe, Gwyneth Arnold, Marie Brown, Anita Smith, and Dr Jack Fraser.

T HE

CL A SSR OOM

In a state school system which seems increasingly hostile to the gospel, how can Christian teachers in New Zealand bring their faith into the classroom without unwanted confrontation or misunderstanding?

In July, Gateway Baptist Church in Miramar hosted New Zealand’s first Kingdom in the Classroom conference to encourage, envision, and empower Christian teachers to have strategies to bring the presence and power of God into their environment, and see lives changed. Janine Mason and Lindsay Brown, from Bethel Christian School, spoke on their journey to find some answers and shared strategies including asking God how he sees the students, particularly those causing problems; helping students see how God created them and their God-given abilities; seeking peace and speaking truth in the classroom; and giving students opportunities to encourage and see the best in each other. Attended by teachers from state and Christian schools from around the country, many delegates said they were encouraged and inspired, and felt they could return to their classrooms with a greater vision of what God could do through them to change their students’ lives.

There is another conference planned for July 2017. Contact Phil Coates at pastor@gatewaybaptist.org.nz for more information.

OXFORD TERRACE BAPTIST CHURCH BREAKS GROUND FOR REBUILD

One Sunday in September this year, Oxford Terrace participated in a groundbreaking ceremony prior to the commencement of the rebuilding of their facilities. Nearly six years after the church building was destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes, and after dreaming, planning, saving, analysing, praying, waiting and wondering, many came to church that

morning with spades, lined up across the site and turned the first sod!

The build will take about ten months and will include commercial offices for rent, a possible café, gathering spaces, a baptismal, and in time, ten apartments. God has sustained and provided, and now the church is ready to rebuild what the architect has called, “a modern-day monastery.”

GRANTS AWARDED

BY TABTRUST 2016 Oxford Terrace Baptist Church / $14,000 Oxford Terrace are establishing a new trust which will generate grants from commercial property development.

This grant meets part of the Resource Consent and legal costs associated with a possible development project.

Crave Café: $50,000 Crave Café has moved to much larger premises in Morningside where it has been involved in building community cohesion for several years. This grant assists with fitout costs.

Carey Baptist College: $178,000 NINETY YEARS OF SERVING THE CHURCH RUNS IN THE FAMILY

Over 120 students, alumni, staff, friends, and family came together at Carey Baptist College for a special ninetieth celebration in October.

The day included a church service, interviews, lectures, good food, and fellowship.

For Pastor Ken Keyte and his mother, Eleanor, it was a special day. Three generations of family members have studied at Carey.

Ken’s grandfather studied at the Mt Hobson site, his father at Remuera, and Ken undertook his placement at the Tabernacle, the first site of the then Baptist College of New Zealand.

Unlike the days of his grandfather when the college was a rather ‘austere’ place filled with single male students, Ken’s memory from the early 2000’s was of living in the Papatoetoe houses with other families and children playing together.

“Certainly times have changed but our purpose still remains the same of serving the Baptist churches of New Zealand in developing ministry and mission leaders with a deep love for Jesus and his gospel,” says Carey Principal Charles Hewlett.

Carey is looking forward to the 100th Centenary celebration in 2026!

1. Auckland has high levels of immigration from many parts of the world, including a number of ethnic groups who are highly receptive to the gospel. Many of these groups are being pastored by volunteers who have themselves arrived as part of recent migration. This grant will pay the establishment costs associated with creating a training programme for these volunteer pastors -$68,000.

2. Large parts of New Zealand society are postChristian and multi-ethnic. In recognition of this, Carey is investigating the possibility of establishing a new training programme for leaders of missional communities to train and equip students for leadership of missional communities not necessarily based in traditional church settings. This grant will meet the cost of an Auckland based pilot project involving a missional community in 2017 -$110,000.

Tabernacle Church: $350,000 1. The Tabernacle comprises five separate worshipping congregations each of which relate to a slightly different demographic existing in central Auckland.

The facilities within the 131-year-old building in Queen Street are inadequate for modern ministry requirements. This grant will fund the installation of toilet/bathroom facilities on the three main levels of the building - $345,000.

2. The Tabernacle’s Mandarin congregation celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016 with an evangelistic tour throughout New Zealand towns where other Baptist Mandarin congregations have been established. This grant contributed towards the tour cost - $5,000.

Provision for ‘Social Investment’ in Christian Savings by TabTrust: $25,000

Grand Total of Grants Awarded $617,000

Baptist / F A M I L Y N E W S

WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? WITH VISION WEST

Exciting Changes for the Community With lessons learnt along the way!

Community impacting, social justice driven, outward not inward focused...

These concepts are discussed frequently these days in our churches, but they are not new concepts or discussions. Over thirty years, a small group of people from Glen Eden Baptist Church have asked, “How can we journey with and help our community?”

It started with a drop-in centre at the local railway station. From there a kindy started and then a foodbank.

Now thirty year later, VisionWest Community Trust has a full range of wrap-around support services. These include community housing with over seventy homes, full counselling services, a training centre offering a range of programmes for at-risk youth and longterm unemployed, in-home care for over 8,000 elderly and disabled, a budgeting service covering West and Central Auckland, and much more. With over 1,000 employees and volunteers, and offices on the North Shore, West Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga, and Christchurch, it’s absolutely amazing what can happen when you don’t just ask, “How can we help?” but actually go and find the answer to that question.

We asked Lisa Wolley, CEO of VisionWest, how this all happened. She replied, "We’ve always tried to stay true to our vision of building hope together with those we work with, looking at what will transform lives, and what will create healthy communities. It has grown and changed over the years and will continue to because our commitment is to people and their needs - not growth, programmes, or anything else.”

Through VisionWest’s Whānau

28 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

Centre, social workers journey with individuals and families, connecting them with a range of services that ultimately create transformation for them. While VisionWest has a full range of wraparound support services available, the Whānau Centre will also connect those they work with to external services when VisionWest isn’t able to meet the need.

“We’ve never been about VisionWest or our growth: It’s about the needs of the people we walk with in the community. If a service already exists and is working, we aren’t about to come in and duplicate it. We’ll partner with that service and connect our community to it,” says Lisa.

“When emergency housing was needed in Christchurch, the government asked us to partner with them and provide this service. When the Salvation Army was moving out of the HomeCare sector, we felt it was important that a faith-based, not-for-profit remained a key part of this service in the community: After much prayer and consideration, the decision was made to purchase this business.

Even recently, we’ve been invited to look at ways we can partner with local churches and businesses to address housing needs in the Bay of Plenty. Our growth has always been in response to need and we have been immensely blessed to be a part of journeying alongside people and partnering with others to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in our communities, as we work towards building hope together and seeing transformed lives and healthy communities.”

There are three key lessons we've learned. Firstly, it’s all about journeying with others. Transformation requires a long-term approach so journeying with an individual or family takes as long as it takes. There are definitely ups and downs and you have to be committed for the long haul.

Secondly our communities have a range of complex needs. Humans are unique and complex beings. At VisionWest, we’ve had to recognise

that we can’t just offer simple solutions to complex needs. Take social housing as an example. If someone is homeless or in severe housing need, there are usually a number of other significant underlying issues that also need to be addressed sitting alongside the need for housing. Once someone is safe and well housed, we are able to come alongside the family and start to help them look at their challenges, goals, and aspirations. The home is the vehicle that allows people to feel safe enough to address these other issues.

Transformation really happens when you take the time to hear someone’s story and commit to journeying with them.

Through the myriad of ups and downs and sometimes complex issues, trust is formed, stories are shared, hope is found and transformation occurs - not just for the individual, but also for their whānau and the community of people that they belong to.

Thirdly, he aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata: What is the most important thing in the world?

It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. Our commitment must be to our community and meeting them where they are at. VisionWest has been on a journey for several years now, looking at how we partner with and embody our commitment to our communities. We’ve also been evaluating our work through client-centred evaluation tools and a range of interviews. We ask the question, “Are we helping?” We want to know. If we aren’t meeting people in an appropriate way, we can’t help. If we aren’t being effective in meeting their needs, then we must change. That’s our commitment, that’s our mission.

For more information about VisionWest or to find out how you can get involved, check out visionwest.org.nz. __ Story: Richard Nauck Richard is Head of Operations and Partnerships at VisionWest Community Trust.

Transformed lives.

Healthy communities.

Matapuna Whanau Centre Our Whanau Centre provides quality, integrated, holistic care and support to our community here in West Auckland. Our services are available to everyone and our team are supported by qualified clinical staff to provide the best care possible. We work with many people from diverse backgrounds and provide a central hub that enables them to connect with us in a very welcoming and safe environment, providing all the information they need in one place.

Community Housing VisionWest Community Housing provides emergency, transitional and long-term supported accommodation in West Auckland and parts of Christchurch. The aim is to provide, safe, healthy, affordable, quality housing for low-income families. We also provide opportunities and resources for support in all aspects of the tenants’ lives, including social workers, budgeting services, training and back-to-work assistance, chaplaincy services and other wrap-around services.

Baptist HomeCare VisionWest Baptist HomeCare has over 20 years experience providing quality, caring and professional home care support to people, enabling them to live independently within their own homes. Our clients include people of all ages, with varying needs – from a young person living with a complex disability, to an older person requiring assistance with personal cares. We have services available in West Auckland, North Shore, Waikato, Rotorua Lakes District and the Bay of Plenty.

Other services available at VisionWest Community Trust in West Auckland include: Youth Education Programmes | Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Back to Work Training | Kindergarten | Professional Supervision | Addiction, Trauma and Relationship Counselling | Financial Literacy and Budgeting Service | Curtain Bank | Uniform Bank | Food Bank | Op Shop | Chaplaincy Services | Youth, Adult and Family Social Work Support.

97 Glendale Road, Glen Eden, Auckland. P: 09 818 0700 E: office@visionwest.co.nz www.visionwest.org.nz

Baptist / F A M I L Y N E W S

1 0 0 Y E A R S A G O ­-

Kyle/lightstock.com

SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT HONOURED

After the scholars' tea, at Nelson, on Friday, November 10th, the schoolroom was crowded with adults and children, to listen to the programme of recitations and musical items, and more particularly to do honour to Mr. T. Pettit, who for forty years has been connected with the Nelson Sunday school, and for twenty-five years has been its superintendent. Rev. W. E. Lambert presided, and during the evening presented Mr. Pettit with a gold watch, and a silver-mounted umbrella, both suitably inscribed, and with a beautifully illuminated address (the work of Miss Burton), the text of which was as follows: "Dear Mr. Pettit, As you have just completed your twenty-fifth year as superintendent of the Nelson Baptist Sunday

30 †v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

school, we, the teachers, parents of scholars, and other friends, desire to express our high appreciation and sincere gratitude for the selfsacrificing service you have rendered in the highest interests of the young people. We are profoundly thankful to God for permitting you to labour so zealously amongst us for such a lengthy period. We ask your acceptance of the accompanying gifts, as a slight token of appreciation and loving esteem.

Our united prayer is that God's highest blessing may ever rest upon you, and that He will give you strength to continue in this important work, which we know is so dear to your heart.

Yours, in Christ's service, W. E. Lambert, president; A. B. Emmett, secretary; M. Blick and H. Wood, vice-superintendents."

At the foot of the address was an open Bible with the words, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto Me," inscribed on one page, while on the opposite page was written, "Ye shall receive a crown of glory, which fadeth not away." Some of the friends present added their testimony to the worth of Mr. Pettit's long-continued service, after which he feelingly acknowledged the gifts.

Baptist Magazine December 1916

DIRECTORY

PASTOR VACANCY Picton Baptist Church

We are a small, vibrant church looking for a full time, sole-charge pastor with strong biblical knowledge and the ability to teach it in a real and life-applicable way.

See more on the vacancies section of baptist.org.nz or email: jandb_duffy@hotmail.com for an information pack.

is a small 9-room hostel for independent students near to the Epsom Campus of the University of Auckland and is close to many city bus routes.

Rent from $225/week.

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE 2017 ACADEMIC YEAR

Lead Pastor

Phone/Text: 022 685 7144 Email: trinity.house.hostel@gmail.com

Blockhouse Bay BaptistChurch

The hostel is part of the Epsom Baptist Church community.

is a thriving family church with a strong community outreach in Auckland.

We are looking for a Christ-centred full-time

SENIOR PASTOR Hillside is affiliated with the Baptist Union and is situated

senior pastor to work with our current pastoral team.

FAMILY PASTOR

in St Johns, Auckland.

You will be : • An inspirational ministry team leader.

We currently have approximately

We are looking for someone with

eighty members with considerable

a passion for children, youth, and

•

potential for growth.

families to join our team.

A Bible preacher who teaches,

Hillside is a warm welcoming fellowship,

You will be responsible for overseeing

guides, and inspires.

open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

our children's and youth ministries and

We are seeking an enthusiastic person

programmes, and for connecting

with suitable experience to head our

community families with the church.

leadership team and congregation,

If you love leading and working in teams,

and help us realise our

then this could be for you.

• A wise and compassionate person with a heart for people of all ethnic backgrounds and stages on life’s journey.

full potential in God. Accommodation provided.

If you are interested, please contact us at:

For more on Hillside, see hillside.org.nz Please email: hillside@hillside.org.nz to obtain the Preliminary Expressions of Interest questionnaire.

For more information please contact

seniorpastor@baybaptist.org.nz

Julie at Mt Roskill Baptist Church Email: office@roskillbaptist.com Phone: 09 627 9286

v.132 no.6 † 31

DIRECTORY

Senior Pastor We’re looking for a servant leader with a pastoral heart for people and a passion for sharing God’s love with others, to join us in developing and implementing the vision and goals of our charismatic church. Responsibilities include: • Providing inspirational leadership and effective management for ministries and ministry leaders • Overseeing practical aspects of church services • Working effectively in partnership with elders and leadership of the church • Supporting coordination of various ministries that take place during the week • Being a trustee engaging with VisionWest Community Trust.

COMMUNITY PASTOR North Avon is a small member-led church community in Christchurch with a very large community ministry – Delta Community Support Trust.

We seek to be Christ-centred and value communion, community, compassion, and contemplation.

We are looking for a community pastor to join with us in discerning and expressing our vision.

If you have a passion for: - Living among people who are broken, vulnerable, and disadvantaged -Small and creative expressions of church - Contemplative, holistic, and inclusive spirituality - Social justice - Co-operative leadership - Inner emotional healing

If you believe this position is for you, and you have…

• A strong and mature Christian faith • A desire to nurture, support, encourage, and serve others

Please email: admin@northavonbaptist.co.nz northavonbaptist.co.nz

•An ability to empower people through building strong relationships • A talent for teaching and applying the Bible to everyday life • A self-motivated working approach that can also provide oversight and direction to others when required

Submit an expression of interest and resume to gebcsearch@gmail.com Application close 31st January 2017.

32 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

Gay & Christian?

Ponsonby Baptist Gay & Christian support & discussion group monthly meetings ––––– Tel/Text: 027 279 4461 ponsonbybaptist.org.nz/gay-andchristian-information

LET US HELP YOU THROUGH...

Our dedicated team are available to you 24 hours to help put in place funeral plans.

31 Ocean View Road, Northcote Phone. (09) 489 5737 Email. office@hmorris.co.nz

Pipe Organ for Sale The Anglican parish of Avonside, Christchurch, wishes to sell its undamaged 1883 pipe organ. It was rescued from church just before the big earthquake of February 2011 and is valued at $700,000.

Offers?

For further information, please contact Reverend Jill Keir.

Phone: 021 212 3210 or 03 389 6948

Baptist / G L O B A L M I S S I O N

†PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Thanks in part to New Zealand Baptists, young new believers like these girls can now read the New Testament in their own language. Read more in the stories section of this month’s Global Mission pages.

A WORD FROM RACHEL - CONNECTING WITH HIS WORLD

The vital need for humans to have relationship and connection with others is well documented – we were made by God to be in relationship with Him and with one another. Relationship not only brings people closer but it demands an ongoing understanding of another person or place. It requires an openness to what makes someone else tick and what is important for their learning, their needs, their dreams, and their journey with God. In the stories within these Global Mission pages you will read of connection through relationships that open doors to understanding.

Paul and Sarah are delighting in the fact that the women they work with are not only accepting each other because of the business connection, but now are supporting each other in the times of deepest need as

they have become the family each seeks; Peter and Lynley have the joy of offering the people they work alongside the opportunity to hear and read the Scriptures in their heart language for the first time; and in East Asia relationships are being deepened between expatriates and locals, as opportunities to engage with the community intersect for one of our overseas staff.

As we near Christmas, we invite you to consider what opportunities are presented to you to build relationship by serving God and His people in our workplaces and schools, our communities, churches and beyond.

Consider also how you can be a part of God’s story and connect with the world He loves, this Christmas.

That’s what this year’s NZBMS Christmas Angel Appeal is about –

through the eyes and voices of Noah, Miles and Theo, three of our Kiwi kids in SE Asia, we look at what it is to connect with God and be a part of His story. The boys had a ball helping us make this year’s video and share about their friendships and the needs of the people they live amongst. We hope you are impacted by it as much as we have been.

May you know God deeply this Christmas in and through the relationships you have, in new ones you build, and as you journey with Him in His story.

Nga mihi nui. __ Story: Rachel Murray

T OG E T HE R

Rachel is the General Director of NZBMS.

WE

CA N

R E A CH

T HE

WOR L D

v.132 no.6 † 33

Baptist / G L O B A L M I S S I O N

OUR STORIES Sharing language and lessons

Our family in the mission field have so many stories of seeing God’s love in the communities that they serve. We share four in this month’s ‘Our Stories’ pages.

ISAAN NEW TESTAMENT

In the first week of June 2016, Peter took a trip to another province to attend a celebration – the launch of the New Testament in Isaan, the local language of this region. He returned with 100 books which had been given to us as a gift to share with others.

A church outside Thailand covered the cost to print the New Testaments (NZ$2.75 a copy) so that they could be distributed to people across the Isaan region.

If you look at a map of Thailand, Isaan is the big bulge on the right

34 † v.132 no.6 nzbms.org.nz

of the map, comprising one-third of both the total land area and the Thai population.

As I was heading out the next day to Baan Chiang Khreua, where Isaan is still the language of daily use, I took a pack of the new books with me to give away to believers there. My purpose that day was to start sewing training. As we pinned the patterns and cut out material to make shirts, one of the neighbours who doesn’t usually come to meetings at the centre,

sat reading aloud from John’s Gospel.

As she read, the other women worked and listened and uttered comments of amazement as they enjoyed hearing and understanding Jesus’ words in their heart language. We hope hearing the word in their own language will have powerful outcomes in the lives of the people here. __ From Peter and Lynley in South Asia.

NZ BMS

- G RL EO ABCA HL I N E NW O R L D M GI S TS HI O / Baptist

LOCAL FAMILY SCENE ONE

Recently I met a family who run a small restaurant near where I live. The two young children, a girl and a boy, do their homework in the restaurant, and they have been learning English at school. One evening while I was there for dinner, their mother encouraged them to practice English with me.

learning. Recently we’ve been doing all manner of practical things together, sending encouragements to people, finding out about community-minded projects our people are involved with, and even planting a tree. I thought it would be neat if we got creative and put together some hand-made flashcards to help these local kids with their English studies.

SCENE TWO

In a completely different context, I have been facilitating a fortnightly Saturday meetup (mainly expats), where we eat together, read together, and find ways to live out what we’re

BRINGING THE SCENES TOGETHER

The flashcards people came up with were most impressive; everything from pandas, to donuts, to dinosaurs!

Once they were all nicely laminated, I had the pleasure of taking them to the kids one evening. It was pretty special to see them excitedly showing their mother their new flashcards. The young boy, who had seemed a bit unsure about me, suddenly seemed at-ease, and started showing me funny videos on his cell-phone.

It was exciting to be working together to connect with a local family – who knows where it will lead. __ From a Tranzsend worker in East Asia.

SOMEONE TO BURY ME

Last Boxing Day was tough. The husband of one of our artisans died suddenly. In a Hindu funeral the many responsibilities are taken on by family members and, in the twenty-four hours following a death, arrangements are made for rituals, documents, specific clothing, transportation of the body and mourners to get to the burning ghat (a riverside crematorium). But most our women are estranged from their families. So who could help this bereaved woman?

In a profound display of solidarity,

her workshop sisters rushed to her side at the hospital. In a matter of hours, almost all the Loyal crew were together.

The other artisans, without hesitation, took charge of each of the tasks.

Later, when Paul was thanking the ladies, one turned and rebuked him.

“Don’t thank us. Of course we are doing this. She is our sister.” Our ladies grasp this beautiful reality in a way our Western minds can’t.

When another artisan, named M, was explaining what working at Loyal means to her, she said: “I now have

someone to take me to the ghat. When I was in the sex trade, I was alone. I worried that if I died I would die alone.

News would not get back to my family.

No one would come to farewell me in the proper way. No one would grieve for me. I would be thrown away like a worthless piece of rubbish. But now I know my Loyal family will be there. My sisters will help send me off. I will be grieved, treasured and remembered.

Now I have family.” __ From Paul and Sarah in South Asia.

NOUWEN WISDOM

A young Tranzsend worker recently shared an excerpt from a favourite book – words which keep her focused in difficult times. The wisdom she shares helps us to appreciate the challenges our workers face, and speak to us all: In the Name of Jesus is a book

by Henri Nouwen. It captures his reflections on leadership. For some reason I pick up and devour this

book whenever I need a reminder of the person from whom and the place from which I am meant to lead. Some of my favourite lines in the book are like balm to a weary soul: “Laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as way of getting in touch with the

Lord of life. We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for. The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God.”1

1.Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections of Christian Leadership (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989), 61.

READ MORE

about the work of Tranzsend at tranzsend.org.nz. v.132 no.6 † 35

Baptist / G L O B A L M I S S I O N

THOUGHTS FROM CHARLES HEWLETT

WHO PARTICIPATES? Who can participate in the Mission of God? Is it the teacher, the doctor, the engineer, or the farmer who has the ability to partner with people at the grassroots level and present relevant life skills? Is it those with a theological education who can persuasively present reasons for their faith? The humanitarian whose practical actions can so visibly demonstrate the love of God? Maybe it’s the imaginative pioneer able to sell and promote their idea to the wealthy donor? Or is it the experienced practitioner able to effect contextualisation?

My answer to this question was significantly challenged when we recently spent time with a profoundly disabled young man living in the violent favelas of Sao Paulo. Gabriel’s personhood, his very existence, realised peace within his borough in ways which were outside the able-bodied paradigm.

We didn’t observe a peace activist delivering an inspiring speech that motivated the masses to transformation. We didn’t watch a bold protester carrying the big banner at the front of the peace marches. Nor did we witness a skilled lobbyist influencing the local government policy makers to bring about change. Rather, the peace-maker we observed was someone lying in his bed. Dribbling from the mouth.

Prone to seizures. Incontinent. Totally dependent on others to have all his needs met.

We watched as Gabriel’s presence provided the doorway for others to enter and safely minister to his wider community. He became the catalyst for the formation of an exemplar support group marked out by peace. Significant community-wide health facilities were developed because of his needs. He compelled people to think about the way they viewed God and the world.

It was very clear that if you were to eradicate Gabriel’s presence from the favelas of Sao Paulo the objectives of God would be significantly hindered.

Perhaps it is time to reconsider who it is that participates in the Mission of God? Maybe we need to broaden our definitions of ‘participation’ and the ‘Mission of God?’ I wonder how our leaders, our churches, and our mission agencies might be different as a result. __ Story: Charles Hewlett Charles is principal of Carey Baptist College

36 † v.132 no.6 no.2 nzbms.org.nz

INTRODUCING OUR NEW BMF PRESIDENT(S)

At the recent Baptist Hui, Murray and Yvonne Smith were commissioned as President(s) of the Baptist Missionary Fellowship (BMF). Meeting in Baptist churches throughout New Zealand, BMF groups provide the prayer base for NZBMS. This is the first time the President’s role has been shared. We asked Murray and Yvonne a few questions about themselves and their vision for BMF. Many people will remember you as NZBMS missionaries, but your involvement in mission goes beyond that. Tell us a little about your missionary background?

Our first hands-on experience of overseas mission was in Zimbabwe back when it was still known as Rhodesia.

Murray ran the hospital laboratory on a Salvation Army compound.

After three years, we returned to New Zealand during which time we were called to serve in Bangladesh. That was in 1974. The country had just experienced a devastating cyclone and there was a need to develop the medical work in Brahmanbaria. Murray worked in the laboratory serving local doctors and the mission hospital’s maternity centre and outpatient’s clinic.

We spent eleven and a half years in Bangladesh and while there, Yvonne initially schooled our children. Once they were old enough to attend boarding schools, Yvonne undertook a variety of roles including helping in both the laboratory and the family planning clinic, and looking after five elderly widows who the mission were caring for.

NZ BMS

- G RL EO ABCA HL I N E NW O R L D M GI S TS HI O / Baptist

We returned to New Zealand in 1987. Our involvement in mission has included a number of subsequent mission trips overseas, the most recent being looking after The Loyal Workshop while Paul and Sarah returned to New Zealand briefly last year.

Your continued mission interest has also included involvement with BMF? Yes. When we returned to New Zealand we settled in Tauranga and made Tauranga Central our home church.

We’ve held a number of leadership roles there.

In 2007, Yvonne retired from teaching and took on the role of President for the Tauranga Central BMF group – a position she still holds. She is also the Coordinator for Bay of Plenty BMF. What is the Tauranga Central BMF group like?

Like many other groups around New Zealand, the increasing age of the group coupled with decreasing numbers has meant we’ve needed to adapt our approach.

We meet monthly with the Church Missions group for a combined missions meeting after church. We pray for our Tranzsend missionaries and for other missionaries supported by our church.

And now you have agreed to become joint Presidents of BMF. How did that come about?

Quite simply, we were approached and encouraged to take on the role of dual presidency. Of course, we committed this to prayer and believe God has called us to the role. We realise the role has never been shared in this way before but we are looking forward to doing this together.

So, finally, what are your thoughts for the future of BMF? That’s a tough question; maybe we’ll have a better idea once we’ve been in the role for a while. In the meantime, there are a few things we know for certain. One is that BMF provides vital prayer support for our Baptist missionaries. Another is, while group numbers have dropped over the years, BMF’s enthusiasm and dedication has not diminished one bit.

Obviously, there is a challenge here. If this vital prayer and financial support is to continue, something needs to change.

It may be that we could create the critical mass a group requires by encouraging three or four churches to join together for monthly meetings. Also the development of new technologies provides a number of ways to be more creative in the way we share prayer needs.

These are matters we need to commit to prayer and seek God’s leading in. Please pray for us and for BMF as we take on this role.

READ MORE

At this year’s Hui, NZBMS launched their 2017 Prayer and Self Denial Appeal; the theme being “Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho: Treasure Handed Down.”

WEEK ONE: THE GOSPEL IS TREASURE

God’s word is full of glorious treasures of wisdom and truth, comfort and joy, grace and mercy. Through His word we learn that the greatest treasure of all is Jesus Christ. It is this treasure and the hope, freedom, and restoration that He brings that we share with the communities we live in, both in New Zealand and overseas.

WEEK TWO: PEOPLE ARE TREASURE

We are treasures because we are precious to God – made in His image and a part of His stories. It is through sharing our faith stories that we can provide others with glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven and show that they also are precious to their heavenly Father.

WEEK THREE: WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

In a world focused on financial success and material consumption, it can be easy to get trapped in the pursuit of earthly treasures. Jesus challenges us to consider what treasures we pursue and to use our talents, resources and time to further the Kingdom of God. The three weeks of Prayer and Self Denial are an invitation to come together as a family of New Zealand Baptists and join God’s mission and align our desires – individual and church – with His Kingdom.

The art of weaving is a taonga, a treasure, which has been handed down through the generations. And so, in 2017 the receptacle is a kete – handmade in New Zealand. These ketes are so much more than a receptacle; they tell a story of unity and connection to Māori heritage and identity. The design of the kete is meaningful. It represents the resourcefulness of Māori.

Traditionally, Māori made a kete from any material available to them. In more modern times hessian fabric was an option; what better way for us to honour God than to simply use what He has placed amongst us in the everyday?

We are thankful and appreciative of te whanau o Mihaere (the Mihaere whanau) for gathering together as a family and producing these ketes.

about the work of Tranzsend at tranzsend.org.nz. v.132 no.6 † 37

Baptist / R E S O U R C E R E V I E W S

BOOKS

EQUIPPING

Divine Sex: A compelling vision for Christian relationships in a hypersexualized age – JONATHAN GRANT Sexual desire is a powerful force! The age we live in has elevated sex to something of god-like status - but is there a compelling counter-narrative? Grant invites us to acknowledge our desires and the need for discipline, but also draws us back to God’s love so that we might be enabled to love others well. Grant calls us to look beyond the now, and to see the divine purpose of singleness, relationships, and sex, asserting that churches need to be places where such journeys are corporate.

COURSE

Divorce and Remarriage in the Church: Biblical solutions for pastoral realities – DAVID INSTONE-BREWER

COACH

– KEITH WEBB COACH is an excellent resource to help motivate and empower others to tackle whatever is in front of them.

It is highly relational but unlike other models, it is non-directive. As a coach, you are not there to fix anything, but instead you seek to encourage those being coached to reflect on a current situation and identify the way forward themselves. Coaches can reflect back strengths and competencies identified but the onus is on those being coached to address the issues themselves. This simple model works for individuals and can also bring new energy to teams. If you would be interested in this course, contact Peter Browning from the Northern Baptist Association: peterbrowningnz@gmail.com.

The COACH Model® was developed by Dr. Keith E. Webb while ministering in Indonesia.

His organization, Creative Results Management (creativeresultsmanagement.com) provides professional coaching training to Christian leaders.

38 † v.132 no.6 baptistmag.org.nz

What does the Bible say about divorce? That’s a good question, and one that the church needs to grapple with. Instone-Brewer takes us through Old and New Testament Scripture and principles, and considers the cultural contexts to bring light to some tricky pastoral realities. The conclusions here have the potential to challenge – for a question that needs our consideration, this book could be a good place to start!

Boundaries: When to say yes, how to say no to take control of your life – DR. HENRY CLOUD AND DR. JOHN TOWNSEND Unrealistic expectations and ‘no limit’ behaviours can have a detrimental effect upon all aspects of our lives.

Here, Cloud and Townsend help us to see how we can learn to put healthy boundaries in place, enabling ourselves and others around us to take responsibility for the decisions and choices we all make. Such boundaries can bring freedom! We might need others to support us in this – so consider who you could read this with.

She: A journey of faith, hope & love with women of the Bible – JEN GIBBS This book brings a call to seek a fresh revelation of God’s heart for women so that women can step into the place that God has for them. Through study of women in the Bible, within the themes of faith, hope, and love, it is an encouragement to those who are struggling and those who are succeeding.

The personal story weaved throughout the book is particuarly vibrant and life-giving.

Baptist / G L O B A L M I S S I O N

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE

NZBMS through Mission World present the following opportunities to join with God’s mission in our world by joining with Tranzsend or one of our other strategic mission partners.

• People with practical skills (Gambia) - with WEC. Metalworker, woodworker, car mechanic, mason, etc. 6-24 months, at a training centre for practical skills.

• Designer for a freedom business (South Asia) - with Tranzsend. To assist with new product and design ideas.

Could be done from New Zealand with regular trips overseas.

• Educators for Hope International School (Cambodia) - with OMF. English, Physics, Maths and General; secondary and/or primary school age. Plus two principals for secondary & primary - from August 2017.

• Horticultural Advisor (Central Asia) - with Interserve. To research the possibilities of small horticultural business development, the potential of new economic crops, instructional programmes, and liaising with relevant government authorities.

• Tutor at a community centre (Mexico) - with Pioneers. Serving unchurched children and families through English, computers, woodworking, music, sports, cooking etc. Short and long-term opportunities.

• HR Manager (PNG) - with MAF. Needs proven management experience to support the programme leadership team & programme staff, providing general human resources advice and support.

• English teachers/tutors for a safari business (Tanzania) - with SIM. As part of a new English school promised to the local community, teachers for every age required.

For more information and to express an interest email info@missionworld.org.nz or phone 09 526 8446.

v.132 no.6 † 39

Where is God leading you in 2017?

Why not invest in serious study to grow your faith and gain a deeper knowledge and love for God? Whether you are a school-leaver or an experienced leader wanting to enhance your ministry, Carey has something for you.

Theological Study Carey Graduate School Pastoral Leadership Youth Pastoral Leadership Cross-Cultural Mission Children & Family Leadership Intermission Internships Full-time, part-time, distance and block course options available.

Come and be challenged, transformed and equipped.

38 40 † v.132 no.6 no.2 nzbms.org.nz

“

Carey College. You’ve changed me.

You’ve stripped me back to the bone and reconstructed me and I will be forever changed. Not only that, you’ve impacted so many people through mainly music, albeit quite possibly unknowingly, all the changes you’ve seeded there.

Thank you. Thank you. Kia kaha. Aroha.”

Jo Hood

Carey Graduate and leader of the mainly music organisation

0800 773 776

carey.ac.nz